Tony Renda

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Washington Nationals #12 prospect in 2015
  Renda's magnetic personality and dirtbag mentality make him exceptionally likable, and he has backed up his intangibles with performance. He won the high Class A Carolina League batting title at .307 in 2014 and helped lead Potomac to the league championship. The undersized Renda will never dazzle with his tools, but he does have a carrying tool in his bat, which has a chance to be above-average. He has a compact, line-drive stroke and uncommon hand-eye coordination. He excels at executing the hit-and-run and controlling the strike zone. He is tough to strike out, and he has a patient approach. Renda is strong enough to scorch liners from gap-to-gap but has well below-average home run power. He has fringe-average speed but is an instinctive, efficient basestealer. The Nationals were pleased with Renda's defensive progress, as he made strides with his footwork and his double-play pivot. He has average range at second base but is learning to take better angles. His hands work fine, and he projects as an average defender with an average arm. Renda will advance to Double-A Harrisburg in 2015, and his superb makeup and batgive him a shot to be an everyday second baseman.
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  Ranked Washington Nationals #13 prospect in 2014
  A career .347 hitter during a standout three-year career at California, Renda stands out for his pure hitting ability and his makeup. He had a solid but unspectacular pro debut after signing for $500,000 as a second-round pick in 2012, and then he ranked second in the minors with 43 doubles in his first full season in 2013. Generously listed at 5-foot-10, Renda will never be a home run hitter, but he is strong enough to drive the gaps, and he makes consistently hard, line-drive contact with a slight uppercut stroke. He controls the strike zone well and never gives away an at-bat, and he has a chance to be an above-average hitter. None of his other tools rate as above-average, but the sum may be greater than the parts. Renda has average speed, but he is an efficient, aggressive basestealer, helping him swipe 45 bags in 54 tries in his pro career. He was an unpolished, mechanical defender at second base when the Nationals drafted him, and scouts who saw him early last year said his hands were stiff and his instincts were questionable. But he made progress improving his hands, footwork, reads and pivots in 2013, giving him a chance to become a fringy to average defender with an average arm. Renda needs to be seen in large doses to be appreciated, and scouts who like him invoke the names Freddy Sanchez or Ryan Theriot. He lacks the defensive versatility to carve out a career as a utilityman, so he'll need to hit. Renda will advance to high Class A Potomac to begin 2014 but could push his way to Double-A by midseason.
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  Ranked Washington Nationals #12 prospect in 2013
  Renda's makeup turned him into a favorite of Pacific-12 Conference coaches and scouts alike during his standout career at California, which included a conference player of the year award and a trip to the College World Series in 2011. Drafted in the second round last June, he signed quickly for $500,000 and went to short-season Auburn, where he got off to a slow start but came on strong down the stretch. Nationals minor league hitting coordinator Rick Schu worked with Renda to eliminate a wrap in his load, getting his hands into better hitting position. He doesn't stride in his swing, relying on his strong, quick wrists and his hand-eye coordination. He's an aggressive hitter, but aggressive in the strike zone and doesn't chase many bad pitches. He has a knack for squaring up the ball and producing hard line drives from gap to gap, giving him a chance to be an above-average hitter. Renda's power is below average at best, and none of his other tools stand out. He's an average runner with average range and arm strength at second base. He needs to improve his reads, angles, footwork and double-play turns, but he projects as a steady defender. No one will outwork Renda, who has the aptitude to move quickly. Though he's undersized, he has the baseball savvy and bat to be an everyday second baseman.

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #97 prospect in 2012 draft
  Renda won Pacific-10 Conference player of the year honors as a sophomore and led California to an unlikely College World Series trip, batting .332/.366/.434. While the Bears slipped on the mound in 2012, Renda has been even better, batting .370/.453/.526 with a career-best five home runs. He's undersized at 5-foot-8 and 173 pounds, but scouts love his ability to hit and his grinder mentality. He swings hard and shows above-average bat speed, but stays in control of the bat head and shows a compact, line drive stroke. He has a good approach at the plate and projects to hit for solid average with power to the gaps. The knock on Renda concerns his defense at second base. He's not flashy and has just modest range, though he makes the plays he's supposed to make and can turn the double play. Renda was a 42nd-round pick out of high school by the Dodgers and figures to go about 40 rounds higher now.

• December, 2014 Scouting Report
  Renda's magnetic personality and dirtbag mentality make him exceptionally likable, and he has backed up his intangibles with performance. He won the high Class A Carolina League batting title at .307 in 2014 and helped lead Potomac to the league championship. The undersized Renda will never dazzle with his tools, but he does have a carrying tool in his bat, which has a chance to be above-average. He has a compact, line-drive stroke and uncommon hand-eye coordination. He excels at executing the hit-and-run and controlling the strike zone. He is tough to strike out, and he has a patient approach. Renda is strong enough to scorch liners from gap-to-gap but has well below-average home run power. He has fringe-average speed but is an instinctive, efficient basestealer. The Nationals were pleased with Renda's defensive progress, as he made strides with his footwork and his double-play pivot. He has average range at second base but is learning to take better angles. His hands work fine, and he projects as an average defender with an average arm. Renda will advance to Double-A Harrisburg in 2015, and his superb makeup and batgive him a shot to be an everyday second baseman.